The World of Outlaws Late Model Series will be honoring the late Charles “PhotoBilly” Haffer with a $10,000-to-win special Friday, Sept. 14, at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill.

The PhotoBilly 50 will pay tribute to Haffer, 44, who was the track photographer at several tracks in the region — including Quincy Raceways — prior to his Aug. 7 death. Haffer was killed in a two-vehicle accident near Ottumwa, Iowa, returning from sprint-car races in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

The Belle-Clair event will combine with the Pepsi Nationals on Sat., Sept. 15, at Federated Auto Parts Speedway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., to form a powerhouse WoO LMS weekend in the St. Louis area. The two tracks are separated by less than an hour’s drive.

“We’re very excited to announce the addition of the ‘Photobilly 50’ at Belle-Clair Speedway to the 2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule,” WoO LMS director Tim Christman said. “Not only does the event create a real attractive weekend of racing near St. Louis for fans and teams, it also will be one of the most unique shows in the history of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. It’s going to be real interesting to see so many of the country’s best dirt late model drivers testing their skills on a one-fifth-mile oval that will rank as the smallest bullring the series has ever visited.”

Belle-Clair promoter Donnie Hoener is equally enthused about his fairgrounds track’s World of Outlaws invasion – and honoring the memory of Haffer, who served as the speedway’s official photographer for the last five years, in such a grand manner.

“He was such a great all-around guy,” Hoener said of Haffer. “He always had a smile on his face and was ready to talk to anybody. And he had such a great rapport with all the racers, especially everybody in the late models and (UMP) modifieds.

“We definitely miss him a lot, so when the opportunity to hold a World of Outlaws Late Model Series came up for us, we knew what we had to do: honor him by running the biggest race in the history of Belle-Clair Speedway in his memory. I know for sure that no one would be more excited about the Outlaws coming to Belle-Clair than him.”

General admission for the Sept. 14 WoO LMS event at Belle-Clair will be $30, with children 12-and-under admitted free of charge. Pit passes will cost $35 for DIRTcar members and $40 for non-members.

Pit gates are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. The grandstands will be unlocked at 5 p.m. Qualifying is set to begin at 6:45 p.m., followed by racing at 7:15 p.m.

Action for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds ($750 to win) and UMP Sportsman ($400 to win) will also be on the evening’s agenda.